Darfur talks break as rebels request time to prepare peace proposals

ABUJA, Nigeria, Oct 26, 2004 (AP) — Sudan ‘s government and rebels met in Nigeria’s capital Tuesday for a second day of peace talks aimed at resolving the crisis in Darfur and ending a deadlock over security issues keeping aid workers from reaching hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Sudan Liberation Army rebels from different bases come together for a meeting in Tarenjer village, west Darfur, October 11, 2004.

The talks opened Monday with both sides accusing the other of violating a cease-fire repeatedly over the last several days.

One of the two rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement, accused the government of bombing towns and villages where some its key bases in eastern Darfur are located, saying the attacks cast doubt over the likely success of the talks.

Sudanese officials said government forces were simply defending their own positions from rebel attack – not targeting civilians or insurgents.

Tuesday, each side is expected to make presentations on political solutions to the crisis, said Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Sudanese government delegation.

He said the government will propose giving different areas in Darfur more autonomy under a federal system that could include a parliament for every region there.

“We see the solution to the political issue as lying in … the federal solution in Darfur,” he said.

The rebels said Monday that they were calling for a security agreement before signing a humanitarian accord. That demand led to the failure of talks in Nigeria a month ago, and many are skeptical the new talks will fare any better.

“Although I should have reasons for being optimistic, I am not,” said Abulrahman Zuma, a press adviser to the Sudanese government, said Monday.

Ahmed Tugod Lissan of the Justice and Equality movement said government bombardments in Darfur had displaced 7,000 people in the last few days alone.

“We believe this is the policy of the government, and they have not decided to solve the matter politically.”

Monday’s talks ended earlier than expected after rebels objected to an African Union plan calling on them to meet directly with government officials to iron out a specific agenda for talks on security in Darfur.

The rebels want the African Union, which is chairing the talks, to meet with each side separately to determine the agenda before starting face-to-face talks with the government.

“There isn’t any trust between us and the government,” said the leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, Abdelwahid Muhamed El Nur.

The crisis in Sudan ‘s western region began in February 2003 when rebels rose up against the Arab-dominated government, claiming discrimination in the distribution of scarce resources in the large, arid region. Major bloodshed ensued when pro-government militias called Janjaweed reacted by unleashing attacks on Darfur villages.